Shattered Lives and Tainted Dreams
by Lemonjello
Summary: He wasn't the first poor sap she touched, but he was the first to remember it.
1. Chapter 1

He wasn't the first person she had touched.

Rogue was not as unfamiliar with touch as much as everyone likes to think. No she was quite use to it in fact and all its rewards. The sensation of skin to skin contact was something she didn't wish for, surprisingly. No these allegations have somehow come about from what she believed was thin air. Anne Marie Darkholm did however have dreams of touch, she calls them nightmares.

After all the missions and all the targets she had acquired from being under Mystiques' wing she had come to terms of what touching really meant for her; Pain, confusion, numbness, inability to control herself, and in most cases death. Death being her least favorite since most people battle with when causing death is their own conscience. Rogue however can live with her guilt just fine, but the hatred from within her own mind and from the mind of the one she's taken is something she could never get rid of. Their voices being molded into her own as if creating its own home in her mind. Not something she could ever rid of or shake out of. A permanent bond with a mind that knew in its core that she was the reason for its own demise.

Rogue has never found herself longing for touch the last five years; in fact she has avoided it beyond all cost.

After the dozens of lives she had stolen and stored away, after all the lives she had shattered with her kisses and the pain she dealt with her embraces, she knew all too well what the sensation of touch brought her and she had welcomed those full body suites, gloves and scarves with open hands. Not just for the protection of others but to protect herself from those around her.

He wasn't the first person she had touched, not at all. But he was the first to remember how it felt.

Shattered lives and tainted dreams.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

She had no clue what her mother had in store for her with this silly little mission. She was of more use to her than just a meer kidnapper. She had been known by many names with her line of work, marksmen, assassin, thief, even a terrorist. Okay, mostly as a terrorist. But a kidnapper? Not something you'd like to brag to the kids back at the spot.

But with a sigh and a shove, here she is over a thousand miles on her brand new mustang just a day later in the big easy. A place she wasn't overly fond of with their constant mutant hate crimes and the silly way it sickeningly reminded her of her home sweet home. But mother must know best and she always does want mother says.

The toll the ride had on her was enough to put some to bed, but she was never the one to waste what little sun the good lord dished out and she wasn't about to break that now. With a fist full of the cheapest and largest cup of coffee in one hand and a dialing phone in the other she made her way out of the parking garage. She spotted the closest wifi hotspot and hustled in as neatly as she could.

"How's the bayou this time of year?" Avalanche joked as she itched the sweat from under her turtleneck. She had told the Grecian of her problem with being in hot areas in the summer time.

"As to be expected." She wasn't in a playful mood at all. The sooner this mission was over the better. The minute she arrived she had started a countdown to get the hell out.

"What, no welcoming committee for you? After all were you not from there?" He asked with a chuckle. But she knew he was more so genuinely asking.

"Close enough." She squinted around the small grill and bar she found affectionately called Donna's and looked for the nearest booth. "Get her on the line." She heard the sigh followed by the sounds of fumbling hands before hearing the voice she knew too well.

"You get to Lafitte or has all my voicemails been in vain?" She didn't even bother with a hello. Not that Rogue had expected it.

"You said New Orleans yesterday!" She exclaimed gaining the eyes of more than she was proud of.

"I said NEAR New Orleans. I knew I KNEW I shouldn't of trusted this mission to you. You half ass everything." She lectured herself never failing to make Rogue feel every bit smaller bit by bit.

"I got it, just forget about okay. I'll call when I got em." She hung up before Raven could finish her point. Luckily her wifi had just kicked into the laptop she pulled out and Lafitte was only an hour away from Google's opinion. She'd leave after lunch.

Her target was at least worthy of her time from the wrap up sheet Raven got from the embassy she was in: Hundreds of cases of master minding and over a thousand known robberies. He was a Con artist of the highest reputation. With Gambit as a pet name and a playing card for a trade mark he was all but set for his own autobiography from the looks of his accomplishments.

From the sound of it all she knew his weakness already, a man with an reputation as big as his also came equipped with a massive ego from her experience. She had already fetched a silly image of a Samson a story being played out.

She was well past uncomfortable by the time she made it back to her car. Her hair sticking and her feet slipping in her shoes. Her heavy layering now being her own hell. She quickly grabbed her bag and made a rushed job of changing to her street clothes she had put as a last resort should the heat get to her. She was just hoping she wouldn't have to get them out so soon. The feeling of her bare legs out and about for all the world to see was something she could never get use to. But the tank top that came with the daisy dukes was as if putting on an ice pack.

Her phone beeped six times by the time she got on the highway to Lafitte. She finally just shut the damned thing off and turned the radio back up. Reminding her of at least one thing she missed of her past. The amazing jazz channels 24/7. Nothing like a good radio station that played Louie all day everyday.

She felt like crying by the time "Cheek to Cheek" neared its last line. Her nerves shot and her eyes droopy as she neared the only gas station in Lafitte. She had an impression that Lafitte was a true town but now looking around her she got an overly secure idea that it was actually just a place full of houses wanting the nearness of the big city without the noisy neighbors of a night. The whole place consisting of one gas station and the puniest sub place if she's ever seen one.

She got out of the car and did her best to keep her limb close to her as she grabbed herself the next best thing to coffee she could find. She smiled however the minute the beautiful sight of a six gallon jug pleasantly labeled SWEET TEA on the counter next to the coke dispensers. She'd buy the whole jug had she had the time. She opted for two larges for the moment and walked to the counter.

"You new here?" The gas attendant asked as she popped her gum well past the necessary amount. Evidently no one came this way without having a residency badge.

"Got an aunt up the road. Just stopping by." She muttered trying not to show her timid hands as she handed the bills over. Even in tight lace gloves she found herself paranoid.

"And who be this aunt o' yours?" She turned to see the shady man in the back grabbing a case of millers. His trench hiding most of his face. She could only imagine how the weather must make that thing feel of a day.

"Miss Doris down the corner. She don't speak to me much." She spoke up before swiftly slipping out the place before he had any more time to ask another noisy question.

She looked down at her phone as the new text message flashed onto the screen. Raven was informing her of the house she'd be staying in. She frowned at the address. It was back in New Orleans.

"You lost Cherie?" She snapped her head up as she sensed the nearness of the person. She made a note of his matching leather trench.

"No?" She stammered as she tried to get her wits back from the startling stranger. His outfits being so similar to the man inside the gas station their hair being the most distinct difference, His more of a blondish brass whereas the others was going bald.

"You should pretty sure bout that." He teased showing his pearly whites in his own sarcasm. Her mind flashing warning signs as she sensed his wandering hands. He was a thief.

"You put a finger on my person and I swear-"

"Etienne Leave de petite to herself. She just be lost." She snapped her gaze to the new voice. Was it a dress code to wear leather or was this some biker gang? She quickly slipped into her car the moment Etienne lost his focus on her. She checked for her wallet before gunning her way back on the highway back to New Orleans.

Maybe an early night's sleep wouldn't be as bad as she thought.


	3. Chapter 3

Rogue wasn't much of a smart cookie. She knew this and fully accepted it. But something she did pride herself on was her street smarts and the street smarts of every one of those tricky and conniving villains she had stocked up in her own head. And if they knew anything, it was when something or someone more like, was following them.

The night at her safe house in New Orleans was filled with uneasy feelings and nervous thoughts. She could swear on the soft breathing in her bathroom and the creaks on her ceiling. She was being watched and watched heavily.

Evidently it wasn't a trench coat convention like she had hoped, it was a gang meeting of sorts and something in her gut knew that whatever it entailed she was to find Remy Lebeau in the middle of it. Her gut and the gut of most in her conscience were seldom wrong, if at all.

The entire morning after was filled with her mind wandering and her hands trembling as the hairs on her neck wouldn't back off.

By the time she got in her car at 7 she was a nervous wreck. She didn't even chance it by wearing her street clothes like yesterday with her emotions so high and her mind so jumpy. Her floor length day dress was constantly getting caught by the car door and she nearly cried out in frustration when she ripped a seam getting it out.

She wasn't much of a paranoid child growing up but her skin and her lifestyle were good reasons for starting the bad trait.

She was barely paying attention to the phone in her ear when that sinister voice came on the line. "Have you a plan already?" Mystic was almost too blunt to love. Had she not been the next best thing to a mother to her she would have quit the whole team long ago. But dreamers can't be choosers and choosers were seldom happy with themselves.

"Yeah but something has come up to jeopardize it." Her eyes flickered to the rear view mirror and she held her breath till the tailgating car turned off onto another street, not that it had been behind her for too long anyways.

"Already?" Rogue took a deep breath to suppress the urge to give her a strangle through the phone.

"You failed to mention the gang meeting in Lafitte and now because of my small pit stop in their only gas station I'm their number one gal for following. I'm afraid that my cover might get blown."

"What gang? What were they wearing?" Rogue looked at the phone and wondered how she knew of something with their matching clothes without her mention.

"Trench coats and open face masks, chrome boots too." She recalled easily as she spotted the fifth guy in the exact uniform staring at her car within a five block radius.

"Shit-" The phone went dead, the sound of static giving her a jump before dropping her phone.

'Control yourself woman. You act like this was the first time you were followed.'

She shook her head clear of the voices before they started to chirp in their own comments on her frazzled state. As she picked up the phone she realized that it died and she didn't bother to try and turn it back on. Mystic's calls would only distract her even further.

She made the rest of the day go by as closely as it could to following the silly fable she gave the guy in the gas station. Buying small knick-knacks that an old maid would love and making trips to parks and being as leisurely as possible. Act innocent and they will believe it. Letting the innocent voices in her head take over her body was easier than she wanted to believe. As if a flick of the wrist and she could be a completely new person.

Dinner came and she started to panic a bit. This being the usual time that a person would go spends with the love one they wished to visit. But going to Lafitte was clearly off limits and getting some old bag to eat dinner with her wasn't looking likely.

She finally went into a small café at 8 when she could no longer avoid it. The flowery wallpaper and islet table covers giving her a small smile of the southern twang that still held loosely over her heart.

With a giant benne and a small tea with cream she sat herself to the table closest to the bathroom should she need a quick cover.

Just as she bit down a man slipped into the seat in front of her. She would have jumped in surprise had her other voices not been there for her. He was not in the uniform she was planning on. Infact he was dressed very similar to her. Sunglasses, Long sleeve v-neck, tight jeans and converse high tops that make his fingerless gloves less awkward. He was hiding his skin just like she was. But luckily she had ditched her thin sweater in the car before heading in the café. She had planned the visit since lunch.

"Whatcha want petite?" The gruff man asked as he smoothly transitioned from his elbows on the table to slouching back and shuffling a cigarette between each finger. As easy as stating business before pleasure. Not that the latter could even be possible. But she was never one to tell someone her cards before seeing theirs.

"What makes you so sure I am. Do I even know you?" She asked giving her best mask of true innocence. The man was deturd.

"Only reason some petite visits Lafitte is to see me. Don't care who they be." He was as blunt as Raven. Good thing she was use to it.

"Look I was just told by some kid with sunglasses to go down and get spotted in that side of town. Gave me 60 bucks to do it. Now will you get those damn men to stop tailgating me. It wasn't even wother my time with all the hassle it gave me. Can't even get a freaking cup of coffee without someone grilling me." She huffed as if finally coming clean and acting as if she was finally released of the heavy weight of a lie. The man shifted to lean on his right side as if physically debating with the confession.

"He give you a name?" He asked barely moving his frame. She was glade her distraction was working. She always knew that if all else fails that blaming the x-dweebs would save the day. Everybody she's met has had some problem with them or at least knew of them.

"Nah but he was dressed kinda like a college frat. Had some red head chick at his heels the whole time." He was good at holding back his surprise. The only tell being the brief stop of the finger twirling.

"He ask you to do anything else?" Her answer to this was simple.

"Yeah actually he told me that if I saw some guy named gambit, to tell him that some teacher was looking for him. Sounds hooky but I figured I he wouldn't notice the difference or not if I actually told anybody."He perked up to the last part.

"Why's that?"

"As I was leaving I overheard his girlfriend mention their date tonight at some bar. Figured as long as I make like a fly, they won't ever see me again." He smiled at this just so that the ends curved only slight to an almost brilliant grin. He miraculously pulled out a wad of cash and plotted it down next to her coffee. It was almost too fast to even notice.

"Two hundred up front to go with me to the place o' their date an' a hundred to act as a date." He was almost too easily hooked. She couldn't have planned it any better.

"Look I had enough of this shit after today. I think you should go find a new person to get killed for money." She looked annoyed at almost offended. Knowing that a man with his character would only do one thing to persuade her. The Italian mafia means of reasoning.

"Look here, petite." He sighed leaning on the table reaching a hand halfway to rest on her side of the table, almost as reference of the severity. "I'll make it well worth your wild. I just need to stake out the fere in question an' I'll make sure to repay you very bon." He flashed a slightly smile but never losing the grin of satisfaction.

"I don't want to get followed anymore. That's all okay!" She huffed annoyed at his persistence. "What's stoping them from doing the same as you did or even worse. What if they kill me for squealing. It's not worth my life. Period." She went to grab her satchel from the floor as a gesture to leave when she felt his hand touch her leg. Glad to know she hadn't changed from her long dress. But the sudden fletch was inevitable.

"No following, no harm, no questions, okay? I get my men to slack off enough to make sure your good for the next couple days till this blows over. Better that than nothing, oui?" She did her best impression of a conflicted teen. He bought it so nicely.

"I'm not even old enough to go anyways." She shook her held as if blowing away the thought. He smiled wide at this. Evidently he found his catch by the look of it.

"As long as you with me, anything goes." She wanted to roll her eyes at the stupid line but resisted the gesture and gave him her best conserned look.

"You sure I'll be safe?"

"Cross my heart cher. There ain't a person 'round that can beat my pals." She let a breath of relief out before nodding a yes.

"She mentioned some place names crazy eights. Sounds like a pool hall to me. I spotted it off of 8th street north. You know it?" He plopped the cigarette in his mouth by the time she asked and simply gave her a nod before getting up from the table. She was stunned by his blunt retreat. She watched him all the way to the door before he notice her lack of following.

"You coming cher?"


End file.
